Saturday, May 30, 2015

REVIEW Just a Little Nudge

Just a Little Nudge by Jesi Lea Ryan 

Publication date: February 17th 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance


Synopsis

“Fast moving, spicy fun in this paranormal with a romantic twist peopled with likable and interesting characters. Where’s the next one?”  Toby Neal, author of the Lei Crime Series 
 
“Absolutely captivating follow up to Ryan’s Arcadia Series. Filled with emotion, steam, and danger, these characters step off the sidelines and take command of their own story.” – DelSheree Gladden, author of The Aerling Series

Marley Sexton never aspired to be a stripper. She even chose the stage name Misty Showers as a joke, thinking she’d make a few quick bucks and move on to greener pastures. Three years later, Marley’s still stripping. It’s the only job she can land that will put a dent in her mother’s mounting medical bills.

It’s also the only job where she feels justified parting fools from their money with a little talent she calls nudging.

As psychic powers go, nudging isn’t impressive. Marley can’t get people to do anything they’re not already inclined to do. Useful for making a seedy customer grab a larger bill from his wallet, but not strong enough to ditch a drug cartel that’s on her tail.

Marley is in over her head. She’s not big on trusting people, especially a strange man with a gun, a badge, and a story that doesn’t quite add up. JC Moreno figures out that Marley may have taken the nudge a little too far. But how? Whoever the guy actually works for, one thing’s for certain. He has a history with the cartel and an agenda of his own. Although the suspicion between Marley and JC runs both ways, maybe they can work together to both get what they want…if they don’t get killed in the process.

**** Recommended for ages 17+. Contains naughty things like f-bombs, violence and sex. ****


REVIEW

When you've got the ability to convince others to do nearly anything you want, what exactly would you try to get away with? All Marley does is "nudge" men who are already opening their wallets during her act, to open and dig in to them a little deeper. They become far more generous then they originally planned to be. 

It's not the life she'd hoped for. Nor the one that she'd planned for herself. But it's the one she's got and she'll do what she has to to survive. 

JC started life rough and with the love of his family turned it around. Now he's a psy agent for the CIA working off the books to help a friend and tie up loose ends. When a dead man tells JC that Marley killed him, JC hones in on her as either a target or a victim. 

But as the Mexican drug cartel, who is already gunning for JC, sets its sights for Marley too, the heat turns up on them both. JC's CIA handler becomes interested in Marley's talent and life for all of the becomes very interesting. 

I liked this story.  Simply put, simply true. I had no idea what to expect but in the end I was extremely happy with the way the story unfolded and with the development of Marley and JC's relationship. I wonder if we'll see more of this dynamic duo in the future? 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Things Get Dicey on a CLOSED SET - REVIEW

Closed Set by Julia Harlow 
 
Publication date: June 15th 2014
Genres: Erotica, Romance

Synopsis
Cassandra Carlson is working on her five-year plan. A professional dancer, she moved to Los Angeles after college to work at her best friend’s Hollywood dance studio. She decides she can put up with the glitterati for the time being until she saves enough to open her own studio back home in Cincinnati.

When soon-to-be A-list British actor, Christopher Edwards, comes to her for dance lessons for his new film, the attraction is instantaneous and intense. Both are young, available and beautiful, but while she finds Hollywood garish and superficial, he’s on the brink of realizing his life’s ambition with no inclination for a serious relationship. Or so he thinks.

Just when their white-hot desire can no longer be denied, a jealous actress targets Cassandra in an insidious scheme, and a powerful studio head poses a formidable threat to them both. Cassandra puts herself in jeopardy in order to protect Christopher, but will she lose him in the process?
 
REVIEW
 
As a dancer I was really looking forward to this book after first hearing about it and I did enjoy the story for the most part. I liked Christopher's British charm and his desire to keep Cassandra safe in a sometimes hostile environment. I enjoyed Cassandra's passion and drive to excel, as well as her ever increasing love for Chris. I liked many of the characters, while others I found redundant to the plot and/or storyline, or lacking in distinct personality though they were supposed to be significant to the story.  I think Closed Set had its pros and cons but in the end I did like it.

Pro: Dance instructor to the stars meets an actor who helps her get the big break she didn't even know she'd been looking for.

Pro: Budding and building chemistry between Cassie and Chris. It's not just a straight shot to happiness for the lead couple.  I greatly enjoyed the fact that they had to struggle to find their HEA.

Con: While I enjoyed seeing the changing environment of Chris and Cassie's relationship, their situational reactions became overblown and predictable. One couldn't just be slightly unsure of the security of the relationship, they must be insanely jealous, or make rash, sweeping and unrealistic assumptions about the others motivation.

Con: I enjoy a bad guy as much as the next girl. I can even accept sexual assault as a good villainous tool, the vehicle you could say by which the villain is the bad guy. While using this once against the heroine and the couple is acceptable to me in a story, multiple uses by multiple villains is simply overusing the tool and creating redundancy.

Pro: When bad shit happens, Chris is supportive of Cassie and does and says all the right things, at (more or less) the right time.

Con: Chris has a tendency to overreact to innocent situations, and thus creates these big crisis' for the couple.

Con: Cassie preaches the need for complete trust in their relationship, but then turns around and exhibits little.

Pro: The couple does get a happy ending.

Con: The ending of the story and the HEA seemed a little rushed after everything else that happened.

I liked it. I enjoyed it. But at the same time I don't know that I would read it again.

TUESDAYS TUNES Catchy Ex's and Oh's!!

This is just one of the latest songs that catches at my mind and has me bopping my head and singing along, and singing long after, every time I hear it.  Hope you like it as much as I do!!
 
Elle King - Ex's and Oh's 
 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Make Your Trip to TOMORROWLAND

Tomorrowland... Where the very best and brightest can go, where the unbelievable becomes possible, and the future is now.
 

I went to this movie with my family and some of Princess's friends for her 11th birthday party. She was absolutely determined that this was what she had to see, what she wanted to take her friends to see. I'm not sure what her reasoning was but I am really glad that Tomorrowland is what she chose. 


We've tried to raise our children to believe in the impossible, to accept that some things are unexplainable, and to understand that we (as a society and culture) do not know all the answers. We introduce and encourage the kids to imagine and dream. We watch and read sci-fi, fantasy, futuristic, historical, mythological, and etc. with them and try to foster in them the ability to look for more than the expected in all things. Which, essentially, is what Tomorrowland is all about. 

We loved it. And just like my newly-turned 11-year old is desperately waiting for her letter from Hogwarts, she is now also hopeful that someday she'll get her pin and get to go to Tomorrowland. 


Friday, May 22, 2015

REVIEW The Day of The Wave

The Day Of The Wave by Becky Wicks 
 
Publication date: May 1st 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance
 

Synopsis:
Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami tore through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead. Unbeknown to each other and haunted by one of the biggest natural disasters in world history, Isla and Ben are living very different lives, until over a decade later when a chance encounter throws them back together.

Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.
 
Purchase your copy of THE DAY OF THE WAVE onAmazon
 
 
AUTHOR BIO:
 
Becky Wicks lives in Bali and scribbles books, and she’s mostly powered by coffee. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, Before He Was Famous recently reached #1 in Amazon’s Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories, and her three travel books, published by HarperCollins are online to make feet nice and itchy. Mostly though, she loves to write love stories. She blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter @bex_wicks. Especially if you have photos of cats.
 
Author links:
 
 
REVIEW
 
What do you do when everything you know, everyone you hold near and dear to your heart, and (what seems like) the whole world is turned upside down, torn apart?  How do you cope when you’re left scrambling with shreds of the life you had? How does the tragedy change you?
For Isla and Ben, these questions – hypothetical’s that humans occasionally ponder as they consider their place in the world and the meaning of their lives – became the only thoughts in their minds after the tsunami swept through Thailand on December 26, 2004.  They both lost. Period, straight up, no prettying-it-up... They lost.  They lost family. They lost faith. They lost friends. They lost each other.
And then life went on.
More than ten years later they randomly run into each other and it all, the memories, pain, everything, it all comes back.  This time they each need to face what happened then in order to be able to move forward happily with their lives; and it helps that they can face the troubles and terrors of that horrible day together.  Toss in exes, new/old friends, well meaning strangers, a backpacking thief, and a wise-eyed elephant and you’ve got The Day of the Wave.
I was apprehensive about reading Amie Stuart’s new novel.  I just couldn’t decide whether reading this story was something that I would be able to push through.  I’d pick it up and think to myself “today is the day!” and then nothing.  Until one day I finally buckled down, told myself I had to do it.  I’ve read books that I’ve disliked before.  I’ve forced myself to read all the way through books that within a few chapters of starting, I knew I was going not going to like at all.  I was nervous that Day of the Wave was going to end up being one of them.
But then Isla’s pain and her fear caught at my heart and it didn’t take long for me to realize that Ben used his work and even his optimistic attitude to mask his lingering fear and guilt.  More than a decade after the tsunami they both struggled and fought (each in their own ways) to survive.  And as I read I realized that that – the struggle, the pain, the hope and desire for life, was the point. The story was about what they lost, it was about what they had to do to survive.  In the end, they story was about that and so much more – because in the end Isla and Ben don’t just survive, they live.
I don’t know that I can say that I love this book.  Saying that doesn’t really explain how I feel, perhaps a better way of describing it would be that the story touched my heart.  Yes.  It touched my heart – because you don’t have to have lived through a tsunami or other natural disaster to understand the kind of loss that shatters you to a degree that you don’t know whether you can survive it, or whether you even want to.  So yes, The Day of the Wave touched me and I recommend you read it, so that it can touch you as well.

For the Love of Music - ONCE IN A BLUE MOON BLITZ

For anyone who's followed, glanced at, read or stumbled upon my blog, it likely comes as little surprise that while reading is #1 on my list of favorite things to do, listening to music (and singing, especially if no one is around to hear me) is pretty high on the list too.  I'm always revved when I hear from other readers, bloggers, and writers about how they use music to keep them motivated and inspired while they go about their days.  It's just my luck that Author Amie Stuart of ONCE IN A BLUE MOON loves music just as much as me!!

Here's what she has to say about music, and how she was happily able to incorporate it into her book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love music. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have set up Aunt Susie with her fictional dancehall.

I love music so much that it’s probably my third favorite thing after my kids and books! And I have a special soft spot for singer-songwriters like Sheryl Crow and Patti Griffin (if you haven’t heard her duet with Dierkes Bently, I highly recommend). As you read through ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, you’ll notice the chapter titles. Some of those are taken from Betti’s rules but some are actual songs.  Funny enough, I listened to a LOT of Stevie Ray Vaughn while writing this book! I say funny because, normally, I can’t listen to music with lyrics when I write. I guess I listened so much that it stopped intruding!

So who’s your favorite go-to, house cleaning, seat-dancing in the car till you embarrass your children band, singer or song(s)????
And here’s the playlist for the curious:
Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
Same Old Song and Dance – Aerosmith
Love Struck Baby – Stevie Ray Vaughn
Crossfire – Stevie Ray Vaughn
Crazy – Patsy Cline
Gimme a Bullet – ACDC
Where is the Love – The Blackeyed Peas
There Goes the Neighborhood – Sheryl Crow
Remedy – The Black Crowes
Killing Time – Clint Black
Do You Want Fries With That? – Tim McGraw
Good Enough – Sarah McLachlan
Knockin' On Heaven's Door – Guns 'n Roses
Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughn
Mad Mission – Patty Griffin
Living With Ghosts – Patty Griffin
Tightrope – Stevie Ray Vaughn
Without You – Motley Crue
Not Alone – I'm going with Patty Griffin

Love Strikes in ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

Once in a Blue Moon by Amie Stuart 
 
Publication date: May 19th 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

At eighteen, Ty Boudreaux married his high school sweetheart and planned to live happily ever after on the family ranch. But after twelve years in a volatile, one-sided marriage, this gentle cowboy is struggling to put his life back together.

At eighteen, Bettina Blanchard’s goal in life had been to shake the dust of Bluebonnet, Texas off her heels, and with her baby sister now safely in college, that dream is within her grasp. But underneath Bad Betti’s tough exterior beats the heart of a woman with hopes and dreams, and she’s loved Ty almost as long as he loved his ex-wife.

When fate drops Ty in her lap, one night of passion leaves them dealing with a pregnancy and a marriage both have reservations about. Can a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and Bluebonnet’s favorite son find common ground outside the bedroom? Despite the interfering in-laws, a jealous baby sister and a holiday no one wants to remember, Betti and Ty discover that even though their happily ever after doesn’t come easy, anything worth having is worth working for.
Purchase:

 
AUTHOR BIO:
 
Amie Stuart is the last of a dying breed, a native Texan, and still makes her home there, where cowboys and music (her other two loves) abound. Growing up, she wanted to be a lawyer and a psychologist. No doubt the shrinks would have a field day with her head, but she's seen the error of her ways and considers all those other jobs 'research' for the writing gig.

She's a multiple contest finalist as well as a trained contest judge and is affectionately know as The Terminator by her critique partners. She's written as CELIA STUART for Black Lace Books, & Liquid Silver Books, and as AMIE STUART for Kensington Aphrodisia, she has a short story (PEACHES 'N CREAM) in Zane's CARMEL FLAVA 2, and launched Cobblestone Press's short erotica line,Wicked in 2007.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

It's a COVER REVEAL for The Fading Dusk: Smoke and Mirrors

The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio 
(Smoke and Mirrors #1) 

Publication date: July 2015 
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir? What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?





AUTHOR BIO:
Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan.

The Sight Seer, published June 12th 2013 by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, is the first book in the Silver Moon Saga. In November of 2013, An Autumn Dream, a Silver Moon Saga novella that takes place between books one and two was published. The Soul Healer, the second book in the series, was published in April of 2014. A Promise of Magic, the second novella in the Saga, was published in November of 2014.

Look for the final book in the series, The Shadow Stealer, February 27th, 2015!

Twitter: @melissa_giorgio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissagiorgiofan
Wordpress: http://melissagiorgio.wordpress.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/melissagiorgioauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melissagiorgio8/

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

See the Eternal Light COVER REVEAL

Eternal Light by Inger Iversen
Few Are Angels #3
 

Publication date: June 1st 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Ella has accepted her fate of fifteen years with Aleixandre, but does not consent to his plan of using her powers to eradicate the Chorý race. In a last ditch effort to sway her, Aleixandre offers an early release of her debt and to allow Kale residence in the garden house.

Will this be enough for Ella to take the deal?

Enlisting the help of Kale, Sola, and Jace—Ella sets off to look for the Zdrowy, a mysterious group of Chorý, thought to have been cured of la Luxure.

Join Ella and Kale in the final installment of the Few Are Angels series, as they are set on a path that not only leads to a possible cure to the Chorý status, but may also offer Kale something he has been chasing his entire immortal life—absolution.

Find out more about this book here >> Goodreads
AUTHOR BIO:
 
Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble.

Author Links:

Meet Rebecca Hamilton

You've seen my review for Come, the Dark now meet the author behind the book.

Rebecca Hamilton is a USA Today Bestselling Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can follow her on twitter @InkMuse

To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit the website below.
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org

Author links:
 
 
 

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

REVIEW Come, the Dark

Come, the Dark by Rebecca Hamilton
(Forever Girl #2)

Publication date: January 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.

Rose desperately wants to escape the abuse of the father who impregnated her and the dark spirits that haunt her life. Being thrust from Georgia 1961 into the era of Salem’s infamous witch trials isn’t what she had in mind, and now her daughter is left hopelessly out of reach.

The only way to return to her daughter is by facing certain death to banish the dark spirits that plague Salem. If she doesn’t eliminate these dark spirits in time, they will destroy civilization and trap her in this strange new place, ages away from her daughter.

Even if she can complete the task in time to return home to save her daughter, there’s still one problem: she’s falling in love with a man who can’t return with her. Achieving her goals will force her to choose between the only man who has never betrayed her and a daughter she can’t quite remember but will never forget.

A heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, this romantic paranormal fantasy underlines the depravity of both historical and modern society while capturing the essence of sacrifice and devotion.


REVIEW

For years I’ve read stories of fantasy and magic.  I’ve devoured romance and mystery.  I’ve cried as favorite characters have died, and cheered when the villains get their comeuppance.  I’ve fallen in love with the underdog and been surprised by the twists a story may take.  I love history and the today, and all the possibilities the future can hold.  It is always a nice surprise when an author is able to meld all of these things together into a story.  Such, it was my pleasure to discover, is the case of Rebecca Hamilton’s Come, the Dark.

While Come, the Dark is the second story in the Forever Girl series, I read this book without the background of the first FG’s story.  I was able to understand and follow the story, beside a small amount of disorientation (similar to the heroines) with the timeline and a point of confusion that I will address shortly.  This isn’t a time-travellers story in the strictest sense of the word but it does hold some of the elements you might find there and at some points this too does result in a bit of confusion.  As I said, I was able to follow the story and it can certainly be read and enjoyed on its own, however I do wonder whether some of Come, the Dark’s storyline would have been easier to understand and less confusing to follow had I previously read the first FG’s story.

The biggest source of confusion, at least that I experienced, was from the use of multiple names for the main character.  She begins the story in 1961 as Rose.  Suddenly she becomes Abigail of 1691, except that to her she is still Rose.  She thinks of herself as Rose and has little to no memory of being Abigail.  Only, she then discovers that she is really Cordovae and that Abigail and Rose come from Cordovae, so Cordovae was able to become them.  Additionally, the longer she remains in the 1691 timeline, the less she is able to remember of her 1961-self.  With explanation from other characters it becomes more understandable, even acceptable within the realm and basis of the storyline and genre.  Except the other characters never really settle on one name to call her, and even she introduces herself differently throughout the story. 

In the end, besides or maybe despite any name-confusion Come, the Dark was a really great story.  I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of mystical and physical forces, as well as the integration of history and fiction.  I was charmed by William and his willing devotion to Rose/Abigail/Cordovae (and yes, they actually refer to her like that sometimes in the story). Tess was a nice combination of abrasive and caring, and boy-oh-boy does that make sense now.  Other characters that we met and whom interacted with the intrepid trio of Rose, William and Tess, added color and provided some of the necessary grit to help root the story into the 1691 timeline.

All in all, I definitely recommend the book.  Except, I would probably suggest that book one of the series The Forever Girl should be read first.  I intend to read book one and then re-read Come, the Dark, and hopefully I’ll discover that some of the questions that I had (primarily before any attempt was made by the characters to in any way explain them) will be answered.  However I will say this: if you’re a fan of stories with twists, stories steeped in history and brimming with magical elements – Come, the Dark should definitely make it on to your TBR pile!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more information about the book, author, series and more >> Goodreads

To purchase Come, the Dark >> Amazon

Before Anything Else

Before I move on with the business of what I actually run this blog to do, I again have to apologize for my most recent absence.  There was a recent death in my family and despite what promises I had made in the form of blog-post commitments to authors and friends, I have been unable to make posts since Mother's Day.

But that time is over, and on this day of all days (it's my oldest daughter Princess's birthday today) I'm back and ready to go!

I leave you with this quote, which I admit I have come to believe more and more as I watch friends and members of my own family pass away.

Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
~Rossiter Worthington Raymond
 

Sunday, May 10, 2015

#WhatAreYouReading this Mother's Day?


A book from Johanna Lindsey’s Malory Series may have been the first romance novel I ever read, the first one that made me pause and go “hmmm, romance?” but it was Dance Upon the Air, the first book in Roberts’ Three Sisters Trilogy that had me scrambling back to the book store in search of more, and more.  And more.

Since that auspicious day many years ago, my library has grown beyond the space allotted to hold it. Today I have books stashed in nearly every room of my home and in all kinds of nooks and crannies.  My phone, iPad and e-reader are loaded with even more books in digital form.  Yet every Spring, nearly like clockwork, I seem to gravitate towards the sections of my library that hold my Nora Roberts’ collection.  Maybe I need to be refreshed and rejuvenated, as the Earth is during Spring.  Maybe I just feel the need to return to the stories and books that were an essential part of making me the reader and writer I am today. 

Most of all, I turn back to the Nora Roberts’ books because of the relationships that she writes – not just man to woman, or woman to man, but all of the relationships: mother to child, brother to brother, cousin to cousin, and on and on.  I am a 30-something-year old woman with a husband and three kids.  I have sisters, parents, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles and more.  That’s life, real life, my life.  And I know every single time I pick up a Nora Roberts’ novel, no matter what it is, that that is what I’ll find inside.  Regardless of magic and mystery, myth, suspense or history, any title by Nora that I pick up will have those gossamer strings of family weaving through it.

So on this Mother’s Day I’ve reached for my bookshelf and pulled out Blue Dahlia from the In The Garden trilogy.  A wonderful book and trilogy that illuminates the beauty and love of family – not just the one you’re born into, or the one you birth, but also the family that you choose and nurture, the family that you make your own.

#WhatAreYouReading?

Saturday, May 9, 2015

One Last Glimpsing Peek... Parting Chances EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Because one peek is never enough and two just wets the appetite for more, here is one last peek at PARTING CHANCES by Caylie Marcoe for the night... Enjoy!


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“Do you need any more help?” I stepped out of Kyler’s grasp and glanced around the kitchen. It looked like chaos…but organized chaos.

“Nope. Everything is settled in here.” She hooked her arm through mine and led me out of the kitchen. Noah and Eli were sitting on the couch when we entered the living room. She nudged my arm, gave me a wink and turned to the guys. “Eli, would you mind running with Haley to get the pizzas?”

“I can get them myself.” Eli stood and headed for the door. I stared after him, hurt that he didn’t even want to be alone with me. Was he still just trying to give me space? Or did he finally realize that I was more trouble than he wanted?

“Well, I know you could. But I need Haley to stop at the store…I forgot something.” Kyler nudged my arm again, tilting her head slightly in the direction of the door.

I’m fluent in Kyler non-verbal gestures, and clearly, she was telling me to get out that front door. But my feet paused at the look Eli flashed Kyler. His eyes shone uncertainly. His gaze flicked to me quickly, but I caught the softness in them before they darted back to Kyler.

“What is it? I can pick that up too.” He plucked his keys from the table and propped himself up against the doorframe, waiting for Kyler to finish.

“Oh, well…I um forgot… I um…need some tampons.” She blurted out. I swear every single face in the room turned red.

Noah looked Kyler up and down before opening his mouth. “But I thought…” Kyler held up a hand to stop him and gave him a short glare before turning back to Eli.

“So did you want to pick those up? I’d have to write it down. Haley knows what kind I use, so it’d be easy for her to just grab them. But if you want to go at it alone—”

Eli interrupted her. “No, that’s okay. I could use Haley’s help.” He rushed out the door before Kyler could continue on about her feminine needs.

“Didn’t you just have your period?” My question hit Kyler’s smirk. I didn’t even need her to reply since I knew the answer. We were roommates after all.

Kyler winked at me again, before she pushed me toward the door. “You’re welcome!” I heard her say as I exited the house.
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And don't forget to enter Caylie's draw
and get your chance to win the prize!

Just a Little Peek... Parting Chances EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Enjoy another little peek at Haley and Eli from Caylie Marcoe's PARTING CHANCES...

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I pushed from the table, making my way to my parents’ room. The door was cracked open. I gripped the knob, pushed it further open and peeked my head in. Mom was curled up on her side, sleeping peacefully. I didn’t want to interrupt her rest, but I also didn’t want to be away from her anymore. So, I did the only thing I could think of; I crawled onto my dad’s side and curled up next to her.

There had been many summer afternoons when she was sick the first time that I would refuse to play outside and just spent them by my mom’s side in their bed. I took in my mom’s face, how pale and drawn in it seemed since the last time I was here. Her hair was void of its usual shine and fullness. I brushed a few strands off her forehead and tucked them behind her ear. She moved at my touch, and I yanked my hand back to my side. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she gave me a tired smile.

“Hey, sweetie, when did you get here?” Her voice came out rough. She sat up and took a sip of water from the glass on the bedside table.

“Around eleven or so.” I watched as she looked over at the clock.

“It’s already four-thirty? How did I sleep so long?” She raised her arms over her head and stretched back and forth. Color slowly started to return to her face. “It must have been because I couldn’t sleep last night. Binge watching TV shows has been my thing for the last few weeks.” She gave me a smile then threw her arms around me. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” I murmured into her shirt. Was she really staying up late and was that why she was looking weaker? Or was she just putting on a front so I wouldn’t worry so much about her? My mind chose to believe what she said was true. It was easier that way.

“So, tell me, how’s school, life?” She asked me this like we didn’t have weekly phone conversations.

“Midterms are next week. Really looking forward to them being over with. Work is…work. I smell like coffee daily, and it’s starting to lose its enjoyable scent.” I put on my best frown face, because I have always loved the smell of coffee, but it has started to wear on me.

“Don’t worry. Next summer, you’ll have some big fancy graphic design job, and coffee will be your love again.” Mom smiled. “Speaking of love…” She trailed off and gave me a wink.

“Oh come on! Not you too!” I threw my arms up in defeat. There was no way I wasn’t going to spill every single detail about Eli to my mom. She knew me better than that, and by the way she was adjusting her pillows behind her making herself comfortable, she knew I was going to tell her. She eyed me expectantly. “Noah has a big mouth.”

Mom laughed. “Tell your mother all about Eli Park.”

“Jeez! He gave last names and everything? Did you do a background check too?”

“Do you think I need to?” she joked. I rolled my eyes and settled against the pillows.
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